Exciting development!

[DermisParticipant @dermis]

Ahoy there Cap’n Bob,

 

I’ve been following the thread with great interest! A great adventure indeed! The cable pix look just like modern day coax cable, and it would make sense that the shield/armour would act as a return for the signal sent down the main core.

 

RS components have a 1.9mm dia coax cable in grey, available in 50 or 100m reels. I think 100m weighs 1.9kg. I’ll check this and get back. Be aware that copper cable hardens when cold. Being immersed in the lake may hinder successful rewind! Take a spare reel!

 

Regards.

Edited By Dermis on 01/06/2011 00:16:56

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thanks Duckie……Saw some HO cattle yesterday at BYC but they looked a little too big. I think HO is 1/87th scale

 

Thanks Dermis for looking in and your comments.

The cable you refer too is probably the same stuff as Maplins, but still waiting for official approval

 

I`ll try soaking my sample length of cable in the greenhouse tub for an hour and see what happens?…..Thanks for the prediction of doom!

 

UB74

[DermisParticipant @dermis]

Hulk loading cable on board the GE. The loading took 3 months!

 

Cabel chamber. Note the men with paddles, ensuring a neat coil.

 

I think this might be the cable tensioning tower. Weights would have been added to set the tension of the cable. It might also have acted as a shock absorber, protecting both the cable and ship.

 

Regards.

[DuckyParticipant @ducky]

Wow topped 3,000 views, you have certainly hit on a subject of great interest to a lot of people here Bob. Can’t say “can’t wait to see it on the water” as I done that, sailed it myself and got the t-shirt so to speak. I must say that it sails as good as it looks folks.

If you haven’t seem Bob’s other Paddlers perhaps you can get him to post some pictures of them, “Jeanie Deans” and “Jeanie Deans at War”!.

 

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thanks Dermis

 

I`ve already seen these pictures…..Truly awesome!……..Thank you, all the same

 

Can you imagine the problems on the winch mechanism, with 12000 feet of copper cable hanging off the back?……..In a storm too!……..No wonder they were prepared for retrieving and splicing. How did they splice the cable with all that wire hanging down?

They must have clamped it down somehow?

 

A real credit to Brunel, Russell and the Great Eastern

 

The subject was so popular in Victorian times, all the spare cable was turned into ornaments, fob watch pendants, walking stick handles etc

 

UB74

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Duckie

 

Yep!…..Over 3000 views and we haven`t even set sail yet!

Just waiting for the go ahead on the wire and things will take a new tack!

 

Should be very interesting and it might be as well, to use the selected pond…….and then the story will be out!

 

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Had a very interesting talk with Dr J this morning and because of this very excellent thread and the Great Eastern gallery, we made excellent progress!

 

We`ve decided to buy a 100m reel of the wire and give it a whirl at Etherow club water

 

Fingers crossed………Bob

[Mark Beard 1Participant @markbeard1]

Yay! Any chance of a video of the proceedings from Ducky?

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Mark

 

You just try and stop Peter Teal Studios (Duckie) from filming!……..He can`t wait! He`s akin to the Papparatsiii when smells a scoop!

 

Just thinking about rigging something up for interest……

 

Connect the wire to a 12V Jelly on the landing stage and connect up to something on the opposite shore…….like a bell or buzzer or a light?

 

Maplins are sure to have something suitable

 

Bob and First mate Duckie

[DermisParticipant @dermis]

Hi Bob,

 

Re cable.

 

RS components supply a single screened grey cable 18/0.1mm. The OD is 1.9mm. The weight for 100m is 0.7kg – £25. RS part no. 626-4575. I can get hold of this in 24 hours.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Dermis

 

Thanks for the offer……..but you are too late!…….But thanks anyway

 

Just got back from Maplins…….Not enough wire in stock, but will be delivered here in 24 hours…….£39.00

Also bought a 12 buzzer, but think a light will be better

 

Tried the cold water test on the cable…….No noticeable effect

 

Bob

[DuckyParticipant @ducky]

You gave me a 12V lamp with wires connected as a tester Bob, from a bathroom fitting I think, that would do the trick wouldn’t it, I’ll bring it round if you haven’t got another one!.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Mornin` Duckie

 

Thanks for the offer…..Got a spare one and a buzzer….and Geoff has made an electro mechanical bell…..so we can try all three devices

 

Bob

[Mark Beard 1Participant @markbeard1]

That’s signal cable chaps, be careful and keep the current below 1 Amp to avoid over heating or burning it out. Good luck for the testing.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Now!….Come on Mark!

 

You recc`d the cable!……..Using a 12v jelly………What is the amperage then?

 

Does the bell etc decide the amps used?

 

Don`t forget…….It`s water cooled!

 

Bob

[Mark Beard 1Participant @markbeard1]

Yes Bob, it does determine the current! Uncle Ohm says that the current drawn is the voltage (set by the battery) divided by the resistance (a characteristic of the bell). So long as the bell winding has a resistance greater than 12 ohms, the current will be fine.

 

I certainly did recommend the cable, and it’s entirely suitable for the tiny currents used with a galvanometer at the other end. Just want to make sure that testing with something more current hungry is okay too. And yes, being water cooled will help keep things safe

 

Mark the Spark!

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thanks Mark the Spark

 

If I test the bells and whistles on the sample wire you sent me….Will this prove that the 100m wire is safe to use?

 

It`s a good job we`re having a few dummy runs then!

 

Bob

[Mark Beard 1Participant @markbeard1]

That’s a good idea Bob. It should 95% prove it, and rule out anything catastrophic. Personally I doubt that the bulb or bell will draw more than 1 Amp, but just wanted you to be aware that there is a limit to what the wire will handle.

 

Current is also power (in watts) divided by voltage. So for the bulb, which should have its wattage stamped on the side of the metal base, if it’s less than 12 watts then that will be just fine too.

 

A little known secret about electronics is that the components work on smoke: I know this because when I let the smoke out they stop working.

 

After many years of letting the smoke out of electronic things, (some of which have come whistling past my ear), I’ve come to be cautious. If it was me, I’d use something like a 2W bulb and leave the bell out of it until I’d borrowed a multimeter and measured its resistance.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Mark

I’ve decided not to take the risk….Just to be on the safe side!

Thanks for the warning

Need now to make a pressure pad to rest on top of the wire, to prevent overrun.

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

IF there is simply a detector at the end of this line, could not a slightly higher voltage be used? this will travel down the line with less current whilst still giving something to detect.or is this too simplistic a view.

 

Ashley

[Mark Beard 1Participant @markbeard1]

So long as the current is sufficiently low, there’s no problem with the proposed test. Indeed, it would be great to check out as much of the system as early as possible. Bob, I have in my hand a 12V 100mA bulb in a bulb holder with screw terminals. That should be perfect for your test and I can pop it in the post to you if you wish.

[Mark Beard 1Participant @markbeard1]

Ashley, yes the principle you propose is right, so long as the detector is rated for the higher voltage. The same power at twice the voltage requires half the current. But the same load resistance at twice the voltage draws twice the current, and four times the power!

 

Mark the Spark

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you Mark

 

I will accept your very kind offer of the bulb.

It will be nice to do something constructive on the pre runs?

 

The wire didn`t arrive today!

 

Bob

[DermisParticipant @dermis]

Hey Bob,

 

Have you considered using a a large high brightness LED? Brighter than an incandescent bulb, will operate at low voltage and draws very little current.

 

You can pick up the cable from the trade counter at RS components, Stockport. Save yourself £15!!

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob,

 

What is required for the purposes of the film?? something lighting up or just a flickering needle??

 

for a period atmos, it may be that a very large old AVO or similar dial with a wiggly hand will look very convincing.

 

I think that first things first, get the cable, lay it out and put a 12v (or whatever) battery on one end and then measure at the other, then decide whats what.

 

Ashley

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